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‘Be weather aware:’ How Marion County braced for arctic blast

Wind chill advisories kicked in for all of Central Florida at 11 p.m. on Saturday

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – People around Marion County braced for the cold Saturday night, from utilizing shelters to bundling up with extra layers.

Lows ranged from the low 30s in Marion County to the mid-30s just to the north of Orlando. Wind chill advisories have since expired across Central Florida.

More than a dozen people were seen taking shelter at the Salvation Army, one of the cold weather shelters open over the weekend as the county is set to dip below freezing.

“Thankfully I have a car that has heat,” said Jared Peeler. “That helps, you know comfy blankets, I mean this jacket has been a godsend.”

Couple Jared Peeler and Gina Ragin said while some may be putting on the heater for the first time, it’s important to be weather aware.

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Marion County officials posted on social media warning residents of a hard freeze and urging people to remember the five P’s for cold weather safety: Protect people, pets, plants, pipes, and practice fire safety.

“Just keep a ventilated area going and keep heated objects away from walls, blankets, and animals,” Gina Ragin said.

News 6 spoke with Ashley Lopez from Ocala Fire Rescue who said, " When these temperatures are in town and you are facing that shiver you want to be warm and make sure you are warm safely.”

Lopez suggests people in the area leave a drip on their faucets to protect their pipes.

Another tip Lopez gave for people to protect their homes from fire hazards is the proper distance for a space heater.

Lopez suggests you need to keep your heater 3 feet away from other objects and it should be on a flat surface and never run overnight.

“Because the last thing you want is for it to overheat or something to become a fire hazard while you sleep,” Lopez said.

“Be careful with the outlet itself as well because sometimes if you overload an outlet, that can also spark a fire, so maybe use like a surge protector or something like that,” Peeler added.

Lopez gave extra advice for those who may have more unconventional methods of heating their home.

“You don’t want to use your oven,” Lopez said. “Especially if these are gas appliances, because obviously there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, if you think ‘Oh mine is electric, I’m fine’ you still don’t want to cause an overheating of the appliance.”

Each day, the cold weather shelters will reassess if they need to remain open.

Again as a reminder, Ocala Fire Rescue says it’s important for folks to check their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and make sure they are in good working condition.


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